In many electronic products, batteries are used for providing primary power, auxiliary power, and even backup power for sustaining memory functions in the event of power failure. Unless these batteries are permanently made part of the electronic product, as is the case with lithium cells in certain low current drain applications, they must be replaced periodically. Storage compartments have been provided to (i) hide batteries that would otherwise be visible and thus detract from overall product appearance and (ii) assist in holding batteries stationary during movement of the product. An example of one such battery compartment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,007 which discloses a conventional design using a flat door that snaps on and off to provide access to the batteries stored therein. Unfortunately, such doors frequently become lost during battery replacement due to poor mechanical attachment to the product or beacuse they are misplaced. Furthermore, when the product is dropped, the batteries push against the door in a manner that causes it to open and spill its contents.
Another example of a battery compartment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,883 which discloses a door that pivots outwardly to expose its battery. This design, too, is susceptible to having the door detach if the product is dropped. Such doors therefore need to be firmly held in their closed position to withstand the impact of being dropped. This means that the door is either difficult to open or includes an interlock system--a feature which often confuses the user.
A third design of battery compartment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,774 and appears to be less susceptible to having the door detach from the associated product when it is dropped. Since the associated door slides open, it may underlap the product along its edges and easily withstand the impact of landing in various orientations. Nevertheless, it is undesirable to physically remove the battery door from the product because it is readily misplaced and is less convenient than a door that remains attached to the product after opening. However, even doors that remain attached are highly susceptible to damage because they project outwardly, are weakly secured, and require that great care be exercised. In general, doors that are easy to open do not hold the batteries securely, while doors that are hard to open are inconvenient to the user.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage compartment whose operation is obvious to a user and does not require significant force to open.
It is another object of the present invention that the battery door remain attached to the associated product after opening but not readily susceptible to damage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to securely hold batteries or other objects within the compartment when the product containing the compartment is dropped.